Nine elderly people died every hour from cold-related illnesses last winter against a background of soaring energy bills.
Official figures show the number of deaths linked to cold over the four-month period reached 25,400 in England and Wales, plus 2,760 in Scotland.
Charities and energy company critics claim the UK has the highest winter death rate in northern Europe, even worse than much colder countries such as Finland and Sweden.

Winter worries: More than 300,000 UK pensioners have died of cold related illnesses since 1997

There are fears the toll could rise this year following a recent barrage of price rises that may frighten elderly people into not turning on their heating.

Heated issue: Pensioners see rising fuel bills and worry about whether they can afford to warm the house

While the UK death rate is high, the total was down by around 30 per cent compared with 2008/9 because there were fewer flu outbreaks, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Dot Gibson, of the National Pensioners Convention, said: ‘Since 1997 we have lost more than 300,000 pensioners during the winter months because of cold-related illnesses, yet the Government seems incapable of acting. No other section of our society is so vulnerable and treated so badly.
‘Pensioners see rising fuel bills and are constantly worried about whether or not they can afford to put their heating on.’
She added: ‘Around 3.5million pensioner households are spending more than 10 per cent of their income on fuel bills and are living in fuel poverty.’
The Coalition government has kept the last administration’s Winter Fuel Allowance payments of £250 for pensioners and £400 for those over 80.
But the allowance should be raised, said Miss Gibson, adding: ‘What these people need now is more money so they can avoid having to decide whether to heat or eat.’DEADLY COLD SNAP

The death of 90-year-old Margaret Titchmarsh showed how cold weather can claim the lives of elderly people.
Former nurse Mrs Titchmarsh, who suffered from dementia, died from hypothermia after wandering away from her care home, in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
At the inquest into her death, Halifax coroner Roger Whittaker concluded her death was accidental but 'contributed to by neglect'.
She was wearing only a thin summer dress, cardigan and slippers when she was found dead - on one of the coldest nights of the year in January 2007

Maria Wardrobe, of the charity National Energy Action, said: ‘Britain still has the highest number of excess winter deaths in northern Europe which is a national disgrace, and more needs to be done to tackle the problem of fuel poverty.
‘Those most at risk to the effects of cold weather must not have to make a choice over whether to heat their homes or end up ill and in debt to their energy supplier.’
Dave Timms, from Friends of the Earth, said: ‘Living in a cold, damp house can make heart disease and strokes more likely. It’s a disgrace that millions of vulnerable people in Britain live in homes lacking basic insulation.’
He said the Government’s Energy Bill, which is to be published next month, should include a programme to insulate all the nation’s homes.ENERGY BILL RISES

Energy providers have announced big rises in prices this winter.

Scottish Power is increasing electricity bills by 8.9 per cent.

Scottish & Southern Electricity is putting up gas by almost 10 per cent.

British Gas announced a 7 per cent rise on gas and electricity

Michelle Mitchell, director of the charity Age UK, said:'It’s still unacceptable that in this day and age tens of thousands more older people die in this country every winter from the effects of the cold weather.

'As another winter sets in, plummeting temperatures will once again spell misery, ill-health and, in some cases, even death for too many people in later life across the country.

'The simple fact that the UK has one of the highest winter mortality rates in Europe – higher than even Sweden or Finland – makes it clear this is very much a home-grown problem.

'These are avoidable deaths due not just to the cold weather in itself but to the country’s inability to meet the challenge of dropping temperatures.'
Public health minister Anne Milton said: ‘Information to help vulnerable people keep warm and well will be made available to GP surgeries and local organisations.

'The elderly, and those who are ill, are particularly vulnerable during cold weather.
'We all have a role to play in remembering the needs of friends, relatives and neighbours who could be at risk especially at this time of year.’

the wise one's still have wood burning fire with chimneys, have to wrap up, I know a few people in Poland who are old and they just deal with it at -30. Majority can't be f~d to move even if it's to put the kettle on, if they can't deal with -2 then how many will go at -10??

__________________
Do not believe information unless they can back it with facts, don't publish spaceship moon.

All the media seems to talk about now is how bad the corporations are.

I agree that the corporations ARE bad, of that there is no doubt. But the PTB need us to believe it so that they can then take us to the opposite extreme of communism. The corporations are PURPOSLY being demonised (and rightly so REALLY) so that we say, "something must be done!".

- They are demonising the banks (without actually naming the REAL culprits who TRULY run them).

- The water companies have gone downhill.

- The gas and electric companies are corrupt.

- Parliament is full of criminals.

- The police force is fucked up, full of dodgy cops (according to the media).

Worked hard all their lives paid into the system & this is what happens.

Well they should have educated themselves, realised the system was corrupt and changed it. Instead all the rich pensioners kept voting tory and all the poor ones labour. This is their problem. Neither care about them yet they kept voting them in. Now they are old they must reap what they sewed.

The system will ALWAYS leave people to die because it doesnt care. If you plan to get old and think the system will look after you, i have news for you. It wont. So make alternative arrangements now.

Well they should have educated themselves, realised the system was corrupt and changed it. Instead all the rich pensioners kept voting tory and all the poor ones labour. This is their problem. Neither care about them yet they kept voting them in. Now they are old they must reap what they sewed.

The system will ALWAYS leave people to die because it doesnt care. If you plan to get old and think the system will look after you, i have news for you. It wont. So make alternative arrangements now.

the wise one's still have wood burning fire with chimneys, have to wrap up, I know a few people in Poland who are old and they just deal with it at -30. Majority can't be f~d to move even if it's to put the kettle on, if they can't deal with -2 then how many will go at -10??

in uk, coal fires were banned in inner cities and towns, so peeps bricked up their open grates and got either gas or electric. thankfully wood burners are coming back in, but the cost of reopening fireplaces and chimmneys is 1500 quid i got told (i wanted to open mine cos the idiot landlord ripped OUT the multi fuel stove )

but even then, to get a good deal on say 1 ton of logs (which is a bout £50 my old gal told me) you need the storage, same with coal. I could see the price of logs only going up and these tend to not be economical burn wise nor do they give a good heat off, compared to coal. and unfortunately many pensioners are in towns/cities where its banned, or in new build rabbit hutches with no chimmney at all (you know them type of places they sold their house and bought a glorified bedsit for 125k justified by a red emergency chord in every room)

skanked and scammed at every corner...all of us

__________________livelaughlovelearnletgoIf you ignore what you are passionate about, you ignore a part of the potential that God has put inside you.Thanks for popping by diamondgeezer - wish you were still here, miss ya man xxx

Last edited by wildhorse; 30-11-2010 at 04:11 AM.
Reason: too early in fucking morning....meh... :/

Worked hard all their lives paid into the system & this is what happens.

I heartily concur with you.

Great OP.

As for some of the other comments on this thread; fuck me what a bunch of Tory boys!

This threat of "communism" is just pathetic!

universal health care = communism

social security =communism

criticisng greedy corporations = communism

ad nauseum

And this "deal with it" bollocks is just heartless crap

But what can you expect from folks who suppported this shower of shit

Quote:

Age UK fears benefit reforms will leave some pensioners with less money for heatingHousing benefit reforms could leave some elderly people on such low incomes their health may be at risk, the charity Age UK has warned.

Well reguardless....they should all get the basics...at least... considering the jillions they spend on war,etc,....I mean one fucking week would help out most of these folks. Don't mind me....I'm from the US.....one fucking day would clear up my whole states issues........
......if that was the way it worked.....which it doesn't... obviously

Well they give billions of cash to the EU, foreign aid, even lent 7 billion to Ireland, they dish out billions in benefits and free housing to immigrants.

But British pensioners are last on the list, thats how the Government works here wether its labour or cons, British last and everyone else first. Just part of the genocide programme against the indigenous people of these islands.

And I don't know why Mikey is complaining because his beloved labour party is jointly responsible for the whole sorry mess.

Instead of police helicopters flying above looking for hot spots so they can do skunk-farm busts, they should be looking for cold spots and sending an officer around to see if some poor old dear needs a hand.

Instead of police helicopters flying above looking for hot spots so they can do skunk-farm busts, they should be looking for cold spots and sending an officer around to see if some poor old dear needs a hand.

Instead of police helicopters flying above looking for hot spots so they can do skunk-farm busts, they should be looking for cold spots and sending an officer around to see if some poor old dear needs a hand.